Livelihood Training in Baking and Candy Making

This January marked the start of another project of AMV – its 11 sessions livelihood training in baking and candy making. With us on the team we have 10 eager participants and baking teacher Mrs. Lorena Castro – who has not only a passion for baking but also a golden heart for sharing her knowledge with others.

It was on January 16 that the first session of the livelihood training took place. It was an introduction session to the entire training and aimed at boosting the self esteem of the 10 participants. On January 23 it was time for the first hands-on baking class – long awaited by both the participants and the tutor.

Each baking session is divided into two parts – whereas one part consists of discussions and a test, while the second part is when the actual baking is being done. For 11 Saturdays the participants are invited to the office of AMV for lessons in baking cookies, making candy and learning how to sell for a profit to turn the gained knowledge into something more sustainable. An additional day per week is also available for the participants to practice their baking skills and make their own batches for selling. In the end, a diploma will be issued along with assistance in establishing micro-efforts for the participants to turn the training into a real life earning opportunity.

The teacher for the training is Mrs. Lorena Castro – who is more than your ordinary teacher. Besides being a mother of five she also teaches daily at a Manila based high school, and she has a grand list of skills and experience. Besides baking, Mrs. Castro also has skills in table service & table setting, cooking, food preservation, flower arrangement, crocheting, dressmaking & designing, and reflexology. She is TESDA approved, meaning she is fully certified to sign diplomas after completion of livelihood training. She also has experience working in an elderly home, assisting for several years in daily feeding programs and holding a dressmaking course for the less fortunate.

When asked what Lorena hopes will be the outcome of the livelihood training in baking, she replied: “I just hope that after the training, those children and parents could be more productive at their own pace by starting a micro business that will help them and their families survive financially, by way of applying what they have learned from all the skills I’ll share with them from baking, to candy making, to table setting and many more! I also hope and am telling them many times to share what they have gained from my teachings to their friends and relatives which in turn will like be a chain that will make every Filipino industrious and able to stay self sustainable.”

According to Lorena herself ” the best thing about teaching baking to someone is helping those fellowmen value life, change lives to the better and make them skillful, productive, useful citizens of our country – and at the same time find hope in their everyday endeavors”. In other words, Lorena has a heart for spreading knowledge and giving a helping hand to all those who are in need. There is no doubt that there are more exiting livelihood courses to be lined up with someone like Lorena devoting her time.

And what is Lorena’s best tip to all those baking lovers out there? “Three top tips I can strictly tell them in baking is to be accurate and exact in measuring ingredients, follow the step by step procedures correctly, and apply the correct temperature or level of heat and baking time required using the oven carefully”.